Founded by William B. Ruger and Alexander McCormick Sturm in 1949 with a minimal investment of $50,000.00, the Sturm, Ruger and Company (NYSE: RSR), as it is now known, is one of the leading manufacturers of quality firearms in the United States today. You can hardly glance at the history and timeline of this business and not have an appreciation of what an American company can accomplish. This is especially true for the controversial commercial shooting and sportsmen market.
Being a worldwide recognized name Ruger offers over 400 variations of firearms and accessories in more than 30 current product lines. For over 60 years, the Ruger motto of “Arms Makers for Responsible Citizens” has proven to be just this in a case of success and American entrepreneurship.
When you enter a gun shop or other firearms/sportsman supply dealer, you will literally find a Ruger firearm in every section on display. This is one more addition to the long list of Ruger accomplishments.
In pistols, you will find the classic arms of the old west in the single six and the like; you will also find the more modern and vaguely Luger-ish Mark III series. Moreover, you will see the metal and polymer modern styles that are so popular today for target, plinking and self-defense.
Glancing over at the rifle counter you will see the head-nodding classic, in the Ruger 10/22. You will also find its multitude of aftermarket accessories for variation and customization. Looking a bit further, you will see the Mini-14 and Mini-30. Both of these firearms have taught us that a short-barreled rifle is more than just a ranch-hand gun. On down the line you spy the award-winning Gunsite Scout Rifle, which continues to promote self-head-slapping in appreciation of how it shoots.
As you continue further down the rifle racks, you begin to see the more modern sporting rifles. The SR-556 is a rifle system that more than competes with the multitude of competitive “black rifles” out there on the market today.
Ruger also offers duplicating classic pistols such as the Colt Single action in .22 rimfire as the “Single Six.” It eventually moved on to making its own pistol influenced by the design of the German Luger in the “Ruger Standard” line.
Stepping up to the handgun counter, the number of Ruger pistols may seem daunting. That is until you examine each one practically. You also need to understand that each series has an intended purpose and few are designed to “overlap” the others.
You will find plinking and target shooting to handgun hunting and everything in between, in the Ruger line. Both single and double action units, each complete with an assurance of quality that can be matched by a few industry leaders.
Few manufacturers today can boast the diversity of their product lines for just about every type of shooting that may exist on the planet. Military and law enforcement, competition shooting, concealed carry, home defense, hunting, plinking or firearms for instructional purposes; a Ruger firearm is available in some variation that can fit any need.
As an owner of Ruger firearms myself, (.22 Mark III handgun competition model and a Ruger All American Rifle in .30-06,) I can attest to the quality of these guns. The only time I have ever had to contact Ruger for any reason regarding a post-sale, was the first time I took the Mark III apart. Getting it apart was not the issue. That came when I could not get it back together while referring to the video on its website. You should know that it has since changed the video, and now the instructions are much more clear and understandable. I can now disassemble and reassemble the gun literally with my eyes closed. Customer service was thorough, attentive and pleasant to deal with.
Another alluring feature of firearms by Ruger is the medium price point. While any builder of fine shooting equipment will have its top-tier models and designs, Ruger has managed to keep the great majority of its models at the median price point. This allows the company to still provide an excellent product, yet keep them affordable for the everyman and, more importantly, every woman.
If you think I am biased because I am an owner of more than one Ruger firearm, check out this short list of some of the awards taken home by Ruger:
- Manufacturer of the Year: 1992, 1993
- Handgun of the Year for:
- 1993: Ruger Vaquero
- 1997: Ruger Bisley-Vaquero
- 2001: Ruger Super Redhawk
- 2008: Ruger LCP
- 2009: Ruger LCR
- 2010: Ruger SR9c
- 2011: Ruger LC9
- Rifle of the Year:
- 1999: Ruger .22 Magnum 10-22
- 2002: Ruger 77/17RM .17 HMR Rimfire
- Shotgun of the Year:
- 1992 Ruger Red Label Sporting Clays
- 2002 Ruger Gold Label Side-By-Side
Now, here is a current list of all the available firearms from Ruger. However, this list does not include accessories or parts, but does include variations on the model listed.
Bolt-Action Rifles
- Ruger American Rifle®
- Standard
- Compact
- Gunsite Scout Rifle
Guide Gun- M77® Hawkeye®
- Standard
- Standard Left-Handed
- All-Weather®
- Compact
- Laminate Compact
- African
- Magnum Hunter
- Sporter
- Tactical
- Predator
- M77® Mark II Target
- Ruger 77/44®
- Ruger® 77/357™
- Ruger 77/22®
- Ruger 77/17®
Single-Shot Rifles
-
- No.1
- Light Sporter
- Varminter
- Medium Sporter
- Tropical
- International
Autoloading Rifles
- SR-556®
Standard- Carbine
- E-Model
- Varmint Target
- Uppers
- SR-22® Rifle
- 10/22®
- Takedown
- Carbine
- Target
- Compact
- Sporter
- Tactical
- Mini-14®
- Ranch Rifle
- Target Rifle
- Tactical Rifle
- Mini Thirty® Rifle
Centerfire Pistols
LCP®- Standard
- LC380™
- LC9®
- Standard
- SR9c®
- Standard
- SR9®
- SR40c®
- Standard
- SR40®
- SR45™
- SR1911®
- P95™
Rimfire Pistols
Double-Action Revolvers
- L
CR® - Standard
- SP101®
- Standard
- GP100®
- Standard
- Redhawk®
- Super Redhawk®
- Standard
- Alaskan
Single-Action Revolvers
- New Bearcat®
- Standard
- New Model Single-Six®
- Single-Ten®
- Single-Nine™
Convertible- Hunter
- 17 HMR
- New Model Blackhawk®
- Blued
- Stainless
- Convertible
- Bisley™
- New Model Super Blackhawk®
- Standard
- Hunter
- Bisley™ Hunter
- Ruger Vaquero®
- Blued
- Stainless
- Bisley™
- SASS®
A firearms manufacturer has to provide more than just quality shooting experiences. It has to produce consistency and reliability that is tangible. The only proof to this testament is when someone asks you what it is that you shoot, and your answer is along the lines of “I own Colts, Sigs, Remington’s and Winchesters, but I’m shooting my Ruger.” This leaves little doubt to what you are saying. It also states the kind of American shooter that you are. Which is a shooter who expects affordable reliability in a long-lasting platform that will continue as it has to this day and well into the future.
I will pass my Ruger firearms down to my grandchildren. History and success with dangerous products has proven that it will be so.